Die repair device



United States Patent DIE REPAIR DEVICE John Boyko, Baseline, Mich., assignor of forty-nine percent to Charles Miller, Mount Clemens, Mich.

Application April 8, 1957, Serial No. 651,197

Claims. (Cl. 76-4) This invention relates to a device for spotting and repairing dies.

Heretofore in the spotting and repairing of a pair of male and female dies it has been necessary to disconnect the dies from the press and with a suitable crane move the same to a repair table. -In order to check the repairs and bring the dies together for checking it was necessary to remove the dies one by one from the table and return them to the press. In the event that further machine work was necessary the dies had to again be returned to the repair table.

The present invention overcomes this difiiculty and provides a suitable support where the dies may be worked upon in a horizontal position and tilted to a vertical position for testing on the same support.

It is an object of this invention to provide a device for spotting and repairing dies which has slidably mounted upon a suitable bed a pair of opposed cradles adapted for supporting the registering dies in opposed upright interfitted relation for testing.

It is another object of the invention to provide in conjunction with said cradles means for simultaneously sliding said cradles way from each other and for rotating the same 90 degrees, whereby the dies may be examined and worked upon while in a horizontal position.

It is another object of this invention to provide power means for reciprocating said cradles and for pivoting the same so that the die support plates on said cradles may be selectively moved from upright opposed relation to horizontal positions.

These and other objects wil be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmental side elevational view of the present die repair device.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 33 of Fig. l.

lt will be understood that theabove drawing illustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.

The present die repair device comprises a bed which includes a pair of spaced upright longitudinally extending front and rear walls 11 and 12. A series of cross braces 13, 14 and 15 rigidly interconnect said walls and are suitably secured thereto by welding as at points 16, for illustration.

Opposed spaced horizontally extending ledges 17 are secured upon the interiors of walls 11 and 12 intermediate their ends, and intermediate their tops and bottoms by a series of fasteners 18.

There are provided within the interior surface of said walls inwardly of the ends of ledges 17 and thereabove opposed pairs of elongated slots 19. These slots extend outwards beyond the ends of said ledges and at their ends are curved downwardly at 20.

A pair of die supporting cradles are generally indicated at 21 and 22, with their respective male and female die ICC supporting plates 23 arranged in opposed spaced relation. Each of these cradles is slidably positioned between walls 11 and 12 upon ledges 17, as shown in Fig. 2.

As these cradles are identical in construction, one thereof is described in conjunction with the drawing. Cradle 21 includes the upright die support plate 23 upon whose outer flat surface 24 one of the mating dies 46-46 to be repaired is bolted and secured.

Said cradle includes a pair of parallel spaced upright outer walls 25 of sector-shape, suitably secured to the outer upright edges of plate 23. The lower ends of said side walls are spanned and suitably interconnected by the horizontal bottom wall 26.

The outer and rear surfaces of side walls 25 are generally arcuate as at 27, completing the cradle construction which is suitably secured together as a unit as by welding, for illustration.

Pin 28 extends transversely through said cradle and loosely engages said side walls at points 29. The ends 30 of said pin project outwardly of the cradle walls and are slidably and guidably positioned within the opposed horizontally elongated slots 19. Y

Swivel mounting plate 31 is secured by the fasteners 32 to the rear surface of the upright plate 23 towards its lower end and centrally thereof. Block 31 has formed therein a socket 33 to receive the spherical end 34 of threaded shaft 35, which forms part of the operating linkage.

The outer end of shaft 35 is adjustably threaded into the threaded bore of sleeve 36. The other end of said sleeve has a spherical element 37 swivelly mounted within a corresponding socket 33 within the swivel mounting plate 39. Said plate is suitably secured to the outer end of piston rod 40 for movement therewith. Both of the swivel mounting plates 31 and 39 have upright clearance slots 38 therein to accommodate portions of the linkage 35-36 as the cradle is tilted from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the degree dotted line position also shown.

For the purpose of effecting reciprocal movementof cradle 21 there is provided a suitable reciprocal power means which through linkage 35-36 is adapted to effect reciprocal sliding movements of cradle 21. For this purpose and as illustrative of one form of such power means there is provided a hydraulic cylinder 42 having a reciprocal piston 41 therein, shown in dotted lines, and from which projects the outwardly extending piston rod 40, in an axial alignment with said linkage.

Suitable conduits 43-44 join opposite ends of cylinder 42 for the purpose of selectively supplying pressure fluid from a suitably controlled source to the opposite ends of the cylinder in turn effecting reciprocal movements of its piston and its piston rod 40.

Cylinder 42 is positioned upon the bed between the side walls thereof, rests upon the transverse cross support 13, and is suitably secured thereto as by the screws 45. Said cylinder may be immovably secured on the bed in any other fashion as by bolting or welding.

The opposite ends of ledges 17 are rounded at 47, and are adapted to slidably receive undersurface portions of the respective cradles 21 and 22 as they are moved outwardly under the control of their respective power means, such as the cylinders 42.

Opposed pairs of formed stops 49 are secured upon the interior of side walls 11 and 12 by the fasteners 50, and are arranged outwardly of the outer ends of ledges 17 as shown in Fig. 1. Each of the respective stops have top curved wall portions 48 which correspond to the shape of the rear edges 27 of side walls 25 of the respective cradles. These stops serveto limit the pivotal movement of the respective cradles to a 90 degree tilt, as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

Leading top portions of the stops 49 are below the top edges of ledges 17 and cooperatively receive the rear edges of said cradles. Inoperation, as the respective cradles are withdrawn outwardly over the ledges 17, their respective guide pins 28-30 rnoye Within the slots 19 walls 11 and 12. Continued outwardmovement of cradle 21: for illustration jcauses undersurface portions of its, side walls25 and bottom wall 26 to ride over the arcuate ends 47 of the ledges 17.,

At the same time the arcuate ends 47 serve as fulcrums for the piv'o'ting of said cradles from the upright position in Fig. l to the dotted line position shown. To facilitate this pivotal movement the outer ends of slots 19 are turned downwardly at 20; so that the pins 30 will ride downwardly within said groove ends as the cradle is rotated to its final position of rest against stops 4 9. The grooves 19-20 serve the further function of limiting inward and outward movement of the respective cradles.

In operation each of the cradles 21 and 22 includes the normally upright die support plate 23. These are arranged in opposed relation and are adapted to have secured thereto the mating dies 46 and 46' such as might be used in the forming of a vehicle fender, or a vehicle roof, for illustration. These are extremely heavy and may weigh a ton or more. Accordingly, the plates 23 are arranged in spaced relation inasmuch as the remaining space therebetween is occupied by said mating dies, indicated by dotted lines. These are secured to plates 23 by the bolts 51.. If desired, one of the cradles 21. 'or 22 may be immovably secured in the upright position shown in Fig; 1.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A device for spotting and repairing dies comprising a bed including a pair of spaced upright longitudinally extending front and rear walls, opposed spaced horizon tally extending ledges secured upon the interiors of said Walls intermediate their tops and bottoms, a cradle in cluding an upright die support plate slidably positioned between said walls upon said ledges; there being horizontally extending opposed slots formed in the interior surfaces of said walls above said ledges extending outwardly beyond the ends thereof, a transverse pin secured to and projecting through said cradle with its ends guidably and slidably supported within said slots to limit the reciprocal movements of said cradle, a hydraulic cylinder mounted on said bed outwardly of th'e cradle and aligned therewith, and including a reciprocal piston rod, an elongated linkage swivelly joined at its opposite ends to said cradle and piston rod respectively, and a pair of stops upon the interior of said Walls outwardly of said ledges, outward movement of said piston rod sliding said cradle outwardly over the ends of said ledges ftilerurhin g the eraeiesrdnnd said ends through an arc of 90 degrees with the cradle retainingly nested upon said stops, and with said die support plate in a horizontal position. v

2. The die repair device of claim 1, the outer ends of said ledges being rounded to fulcrum and cooperatively engage unders'urface portions of said cradle during rotatio i thereof.

3. The die rep'air device of claim 1, the outer ends of said slots extending over said stops and curved downwardly.

4. The die repair device of claim 1, the outer ends of said slots extending over said stops and curved downwardly, portions of said stops being below the tops of said ledges.

The die repair device of claim 1, said linkage includingan interiorly threaded sleeve swivelly join ed at one end to said piston rod, and a threaded shaft swivelly joined at one end to a central portion of said cradle, and atjits other end adjustably threaded into the other end of said sleeve. ,7

6'. Die repair device of claim 1. said cradle including 4 a pair 91'' upright sector-like side walls with arcuateputer edges, the top surfaces of said stops being correspondingly curved.

7. The die repair device of claim 1, and hydraulic connections at opposite ends of said cylinder for reciprocating said piston rod, effecting reciprocal movements of said cradle moving said die support plate from an upright position to a horizontal position and for returning the same to said upright position.

8. A device for spotting and repairing dies comprising of a pair of spaced upright longitiidinally extending front and rear walls, opposed spaced horizontally extending ledges secured upon the interiors of said walls intermediate their tops and bottoms and intermediate their ends, an opposed pair of spaced cradles, each cradle including an upright die support plate and slidably positioned between said walls and upon said ledges, with said plates in opposed spaced relation, there being opposed pairsof horizontally extending opposed guide slots formed in the interior surfaces of said walls above said ledges and at their outer ends extending downwardly beyond both ends of said ledges, pinsse'cured transversely to and projecting from said cradles with their ends guidably and slidably supported within said slots to limit the reciprocal movements of said cradles towards and away from each other, hydraulic cylinders mounted upon opposite ends of said bed outwardly of said cradles, each cylinder including a reciprocal piston rod, elongated linkages swivelly joined at their inner ends to said cradles respectively and at their outer ends to said piston rods respectively, and opposed pairs of stops upon the interiors of said walls outwardly of the respective ends of said ledges, outward movement of saidpiston rods sliding said cradles outwardly over the ends of said ledges, fulcrurning said cradles around said ends in arcs of degrees, with said cradles retainingly nested upon said stops respectively and with said die support plates in horizontal positions and in horizontal alignment.

7 9. The dierepairing device of claim 8, the outer ends of said slots extending over said stops and downwardly, limiting the outward movement of said cradles and facilitating their rotation.

7 10. A device for spotting and repairing dies comprising a bed including a pair of spaced upright longitudinally extending front and rear Walls, opposed spaced horizontal- 1y extending ledges secured upon the interiors of said walls intermediate their tops and bottoms, a cradle including an upright die support plate slidably positioned between said walls upon said ledges, there being horizontally extending opposed slots formed in the interior surfaces of said walls above said ledges and extending outwardly beyond the ends thereof, a transverse pin secured to and projecting through said cradle with its ends guidably and slidably supported within said slots to limit the reciprocal movements of said cradle, reciprocal power means on said bed outwardly of the cradle and aligned therewith, an elongated linkage swivelly joined at its opposite ends to said cradle and power means respectively, and a pair of spaced stops upon the interior of said walls outwardly of said ledges, outward movement of said power means sliding said cradle outwardly over the ends of said ledges, fulcruming the cradle around said ends through an arc of 90 degrees, with the cradle retainingly nested upon said stops, and with said die support plate in a horizontal position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

